COOKING BACON.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 311, 17 December 1936, Page 2

COOKING BACON.

An Appetising Food Which Gets Little Attention.

Few goods are adapted to so wide a range of diets as bacon, since the fat, "being in. granular form, is not difficult to digest. One shudders, how/evef, at the way in which bacon is Often prepared,' both in the home and iu the restaurant. Beally it is difficult to image why such an appetising food has received so' little attention. In tho July issue of “The Australian the Cookery Expert describes several inpthods by which bacdn may be cooked. In the average household, frying is the most popular. ■Unfortunately it is the most difficult to control with regards to qniform cooking. A slow, steady heat is necessary. In cooking by this method, the slices of bacon should bo put into a cold frying pan, preferably only one layer of slices. The pan should be heated slowly, any excess fat being .poured ofc, ( about two or three times, while the bacon is cooking. . When the bacon is a light golden brown, and tho fat becomes “clear,' it should be removed from the heat. Well cooked bacon should really border Ou crispness, yet not be crisp enough to break. For anyone who likes bacon well done, but not actually fried,, sufficient water to cover the pan may be added ’Sirst, then allowed to steam away. This partly cooks the bacon before it fries it. 1

i Should tiie bacon bo a little too salty, it may be covered with cold water, and brought to the boil. Then the water should be poured off, and the bacon allowed to s brown. When a considerable quantity of bacon is to be cooked, or should you have the oven heated for baking, cooking the bacon in the oven is a very satisfactory method. The slices should be laid across the wire stand, and*turned two of three times during the cooking. Stand the grid in a mqat dish so that any fat which drops from the bacon may be caught in the dish. Bacon prepared in this way is always cooked evenly. Another delightful way is to grill it under the griller on a gas stove. Turn the griller on full for ten to 15 minutes. Grease the stand on which the bacon will rest. Place it on a meat dish or a drip tray. Lower the gas once the burners have become red hot, or the bacon will burn. jo Xum. 4 posn-sso[ qSnoq; tmqjouy cooking bacon is to “wet” fry it. Some times this method is called French or Deep-fat frying. For this method, each slice should bo coated with egg and breadcrumbs or flour. About half-fill a large iron enamellined saucepan with fat. Allow it to become heated enough to have a faint blue fume arising (temperature, about 300 deg. F.). Arrange the slices of bacon in a frying basket; carefully dip into the fat and hold it there for about three minutes, when the bacon should be of a golden-brown colour. A. neat way of preparing rolls of bacon as a garnish is to cut very thin slices and roll them into small rolls. Arrange on a skewer. Then wet-fry for three, or four minutes. . Old English recipes tell us of bacon